B Positive by Jewel Killian

Thirty-Six

The witches out-fucking-did themselves.

Every bit of magic the courtyard held before was amplified, from the shrubs to the birds to the cobblestone path. Even the slate steps into the courtyard had been increased to a full set of stairs so the courtyard itself was now well below the ground level of the compound.

I glanced around, as I took the steps carefully, wanting to take in every change, every detail. My ankle wobbled two steps from the top on a loose bit of slate or uneven spellwork, I wasn’t sure which, causing me to set my sight on my feet instead.

I’d find Julian when I got to the ground.

Except I didn’t have to. Julian was waiting for me at the bottom, hand held out for me to take on the last few steps. I slid my hand in his and resisted the urge to curl myself under his arm.

I wanted to be as close to him as possible. And either he did too or he’d heard my thoughts, because the moment I reached the bottom, he put his arm around me and tucked me against his side.

We both took a long, deep breath and settled into each other as we walked to the center of the courtyard. I let Julian lead the way so I could keep my gaze on his profile. I was taking Sunny’s advice to the extreme and holding out on meeting Titus’s gaze until the very last moment.

I did not want to be here or meet that man or dance with him.

Julian squeezed me tighter, as if telling me he understood. That he knew and he was grateful I was anyway.

If only I could hear his thoughts as well.

Julian purred next to me, a low rumble that I felt more than heard. Was he trying to soothe me?

I stared into his golden glowing profile, putting every bit of affection, lust, and appreciation I had for him in my gaze.

“Titus, glad you could make it. Allow me to introduce you to my mate, Eden.”

My heart thudded, palms slick with sweat as I slowly turned my head to meet the man who killed Odette.

“Enchanté, mademoiselle. You are absolutely radiant next to your king.”

My muscles locked but I managed to keep a smile on my face as I offered him my hand. “King Titus, you flatter me.”

He placed a chaste kiss on the back of my hand. “Ah, but it is not flattery. It is only truth.”

My stomach turned and I griped at the back of Julian’s jacket to keep steady. Titus’s speech had the same affectation, the same muddled French accent on specific words that Odette’s had had.

I would rip his lanky arms off and feed them to him.

Tear out his heart with my bare hands.

Scoop out his blue eyes and use them as beer pong balls.

Julian cleared his throat, clearing my head of the murderous fantasies running rampant.

“So, tell me, how long have you two been mated?” Titus asked.

“We only just completed the stages,” I said before Julian could answer.

Titus regarded me a moment before leaning in and sniffing me.

“Um, excuse me. That’s rude.”

Titus smirked at me, full lips pulling up into a half smile that might be attractive if he weren’t a murderer. “But you’ve been exchanging blood far longer than that, yes?”

“Well, ya, we had to space things out. Forty-eight hours between each stage.”

The booming announcer guy kept calling name after name and they all registered in the back of my head as not Sunny.

“Well, what do you say, Julian? I think it’s time for me to take your new mate out for a spin around the dance floor.”

I might have vomited in my mouth a little.

“Yes, I believe it is time, isn’t it?” Julian said between gritted teeth.

I took a breath and held out my hand. And as much as I wanted to give Julian a lingering look, I refused to look behind me. No way in hell was I taking my eyes off the snake called Titus.

Music wafted from somewhere. It might have been a Bluetooth speaker, or a ten-piece band for all I knew. My vision was fixed solely on Titus as he led me to the part of the courtyard serving as a dance floor.

I stared into his face, a mask of neutrality on mine. He wasn’t an ugly man. How could he be when he was a born vampire? But Titus’s good looks did nothing to hide the greasy, slimy vibe he emitted.

It took effort not to shudder when our skin touched.

He smiled down at me, a lock of blond hair falling across his forehead. “My intention isn’t to pry, Eden. I only want you to know the truth. Truth is important to me. I’m sure you understand.”

I gave him a stiff nod as we waltzed across the dance floor and thanked all the gods that ever existed that at least he wasn’t pervy and pressing himself against me.

“Do you know the story of how I was betrayed and lied to for centuries, Eden?”

I fought to keep myself from stiffening and swallowed the lump of fear in my throat. “I am familiar, yes,” I said dryly.

“Of course you know. How could you not? You’re mated to my betrayer’s half-brother.”

Sunshine, rainbows, puppies, and mermaids.

Sunshine, rainbows, puppies, and mermaids.

I repeated it to myself until I no longer feel the need to rip Titus’s head off his neck.

“So, I need you to know that what I’m about to tell you is only because I care so deeply about people being honest when entering into mated relationships.”

Where the fuck was he going with this?

I chanced a quick glance around to find Julian but I literally could not see past Titus.

What was going on?

“What are you going on about, Titus?” I asked without any hint of respect for his station.

His face stilled, expression going blank. “Julian has lied to you. You believe you’ve only recently begun the blood exchange but I scent him on you strongly. I’d say you’ve been on his blood for close to two weeks.”

What? That couldn’t be. Two weeks? That would make it—

I stopped dead where we stood, ending our macabre waltz. “Two weeks,” I repeated under my breath, taking a stumbling step away from Titus.

Two weeks.

That first Starbucks cup. On the street outside the compound.

The delicious, spicy blood. I even complimented him on the quality of it.

My head went spinny.

My ass hit the ground.

That was why I’d thought Julian’s blood tasted familiar.

It was familiar. He’d been dosing me with it almost since our first meeting.

Hands on me. Murmuring, rumbling.

I shoved them away. “Keep your lying hands off me!” I yelled.

I picked myself off the ground, still unable to see my own hand in front of my face.

And then I heard it. The name I’d been listening for throughout this whole horror show.

“Sunny Rivers, assistant to King Julian of Laurel Cove.”

“Sunny,” I whispered and turned toward the voice.

I don’t know if whatever strange magic or compulsion finally let me loose or if it was simply my fierce desire to see Sunny coming down the stairs that saved me from the nightmare, but my vision finally cleared.

She looked divine in her golden dress. She didn’t quite glow like the rest of us under the moonlight, but Sunny still held her own in a courtyard full of vamps.

She made it down the first two steps and then everything happened in slow motion.

Her foot hit the same wobbly spot on the step as mine, and Sunny’s ankle gave out, breaking one of the straps holding her foot in her heels.

She stumbled.

And before I could get to her, Sunny fell down the stairs.

The crack of each bone hitting the slate and snapping brought bile to my throat.

Until the final, loudest snap of Sunny’s neck breaking as she landed on the ground.

No. No.

She didn’t want this.

She didn’t want this!

Someone kept screaming it over and over as I crawled to her. Who else knew Sunny didn’t want to turn?

“Sunny, please.” I cradled her head in my lap, sobbing, my breaths coming in great, heaving waves.

“I’m so sorry, Sunny.”

Hands on my upper arms. “It’s all right, Eden. She’ll rise a vampire, like you.”

I shrugged out of those hands. “She didn’t want this,” I murmured.

“Come on, Eden. Let’s get out of here.”

I turned to face that rumbly voice. The traitorous face. The vampire king who’d lied to me from the very start. “Don’t you tell me what to do, vampire.” I spat the word like the insult I meant it as and Julian stepped back, dismay plain on his features.

“Eden, whatever Titus said—”

“I don’t want to hear it, Julian. I want no part of this. No part of this game or this life, and I especially want no part of you.”

Julian stumbled backward, his face stricken.

And I drove the nail in his coffin home. “I reject you, Julian. I reject this bond. I reject this life.”

* * *

Pre-order B Negative releasing Oct, 2021

Dear wonderful reader,

OMG, I know and I’m sorry. It’s an awful place to end Book 1. But also, it’s kind of the perfect place. Eden has a lot of work to do in the next book to figure out exactly what being a vampire means, and I couldn’t risk rushing it. I hope you understand.

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